2011 Draft Profile - Kemba Walker

Fierce competitor and great scorer, reminds many of former UCONN alum Ben Gordon. He likes to wear a smile on his face and plays with tremendous confidence and not afraid of carrying the team on his back. His jr season was legendary, pouring in over 23 pts per, on a team most thought would have a down year he led UCONN to a Big East tournament and National Championship. Walker has a good scoring touch with deep range, he has the quickness to get to the spots he wants to. He is just as comfortable shooting outside as he is taking it to the goal, and draws a lot of fouls and good FT shooter. What may be most impressive with Walker is his constant energy and durability, he was almost never on the bench, he took a high volume of shots and fouls on offense and played aggressive on ball defense as one of the conferences leaders in steals.

Walker is a little difficult to project at the next level. Although he has a similar skill set to Ben Godon he is not as tall or as strong. At just 6ft, he probably will not get the minutes at sg like Gordon does, and although he does have a solid assist/turnover ratio, he is a shoot first guy and doesn’t penetrate to pass much, or have the vision of most nba pgs. Walker will have to tailor his game to the next level and do more distributing.

Walker is worth a high pick in the draft to go to a team that needs help and will give him freedom. A good comparison would be Aaron Brooks of 2 years ago or Kyle Lowry now. He can also excel sharing the court with another PG ideally if they can defend the SG, as Walker is good playing off the ball by using screens and catch and shoot situations. For his long term value he will be well served to become a better distributor and commit to on ball defense. Although undersized, Kemba is versatile and should follow the path of other UCONN greats and have a good healthy career ahead of him.

Nicknamed Cardiac Kemba, Walker has a flair for the dramatic, and has shown his clutch ability throughout the season. He has hit countless game-winners for UConn, including the ankle-breaking, step back buzzer beater he hit against Pitt in the Big East tournament. He loves the spotlight, shows tons of confidence, and wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game. He believes he is the best player on the floor and wants to prove it every night. He’s an efficient player who can score from anywhere on the court. He does a great job of getting into the lane with his speed, quickness, and dribble penetration. His perimeter jumper has gotten better every year, especially off the dribble. He’s developed a great step-back move to create space for his jumper as well. Kemba is most effective in transition, where he shoots 56 percent from the field. He’s a great ball handler who rarely gets stripped or commits many turnovers, especially for how much he handles the ball for the Huskies. Defensively, he’s one of the premier perimeter defenders in the Big East, and doesn’t mind pressuring the best guards in the conference. He’s rebounding tends to go unnoticed, but he’s averaging 5.4 boards per game, which is good for his size. He shows great intangibles as well. He’s a great leader who makes his teammates better. Walker has phenomenal conditioning, which was evident in his five games in five days run to the Big East title. He’s also a very intelligent player, who graduated UConn in three years. He possesses a great work ethic and has gotten better every year. His hard work will definitely translate to him getting better in the NBA.

There are some concerns in his game though. He isn’t a pure point guard, but it is hard to see exactly how good of a passer he can be because of the scoring load he carries for UConn. He will have to prove he can be a pass first player in his first few years in the league, and is going to have to show that he can effect the game without scoring. He’s also very undersized at 5’10, and that might be generous.Player profile submitted by: Michael Saxton of saxhoopstalk.wordpress.com

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2010 Draft Profile - Kemba Walker

STRENGTHS: Kemba will remind you of the old school prototypical NBA bulldogish point guard that plays both ends of the court while not taking a play off for rest. Although only a sophmore, he has been a source of reliability and team leadership through tough times due to injuries encountered by his coach and team. He is cat like quick and seems to penetrate at will while dictating the tempo of the game. If an opponent elects to play him to penetrate; he can also pull up and stick the jimmy. I know its a cliche but Kemba does " make his teammates better." His overall play and demeanor is reminiscent of the former Syracuse guard - Jonny Flynn but then so is his physical makeup also. He provides a city moxie to his game due to his NYC playground and Rice High School experience. An excellent playmaker both in transition and in a half court offense which is mandatory in the rough and tumble Big East which in my mind has been the most prolific college basketball conference over the last seven to eight years. Kemba does not mind playing in your shorts defense against some of the best guards in the Big East which over the course of his tenure has been a sixteen team conference so he's seen it all at his position.

WEAKNESSES: Although you can never judge what is in a man's heart - you can make a subjective guess relative to how Kemba's physical stature might translate to the NBA. 5'11" would be a liberal take on his height and he might be 175 pounds soaking wet. That doesn't mean he can't be successful at the next level but coupled with his inexperience as a sophmore; he might benefit from another year of collegiate play. Guards are dime a dozen and sometimes dimes get lost amongst other currency.

NBA OUTLOOK: Everything in my mind shakes out to not just where a player gets drafted but also what team drafts you relative to their needs. Why come out as a second pick this year when you could stay another year and play your way into the first round? Kemba's height won't change but his skillset and draft status could change for the better. For the right team he could be an excellent backup point guard in the mold of a Randy Foye.Player profile submitted by: Bruce C. Jett

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Kemba Walker Videos

Kemba Walker Sick Cross-Over

Kemba Walker Hesitation Dribble

Kemba Walker Dunks on Jrue Holiday at the 2008 McDonald's All Star Game